Sunday, 26 July 2015

I needed a dress for a wedding in Amman this week, and it had to fulfil a couple of criteria: usability in everyday life, not only black tie events, and a firm fit that can handle a proper Jordanian dance party. I went for a sixties style full skirt and a matching bustier - the skirt I'll be able to wear individually with a more casual top in the future, and the lacing at the back of the top kept it nice and tight all night. This Dior beauty was my starting inspiration.

THE SKIRT

I used a chiffon-type lightweight fabric for the upper layer (total 4 m), and a linen for the lining (2 m)

For added fullness, I made the lining into a half-circle skirt, but for the top layer I cut one and a half circles, gathering the extra half at the waist

I kept the lining about 20 cm shorter to give the finished skirt some lightness

THE TOP

To save myself the headache of installing corset bones from scratch, I took a thrifted bustier dress, chopped it at the waist, removed the zipper, and instead added small hoops for the lacing to both sides at the back

I took the remaining skirt fabric and overlaid it on top of the bustier, making some folds where I felt like it, and sewing the chiffon directly onto the top. This is an awesome, easy way to create a clean-looking bustier that fits like a dream - the lacing at the back makes sure you can adjust the size exactly to how much you plan on dancing (or eating..)